Combination undergarment



Nov. 10, 1931. E, M, REESE 1,831,607

C OMBINAT I ON UNDERGARMENT Filed Oct. 1, 1950 amnion Patented Nov. 10,1931 PATENT OFFICE Evan. amen, or cannon, omo

COMBINATION UNDERGARMENT Application filed October 1, 1930. Serial No.485,654.

The invention relates to wearing apparel and has special reference toundergarments for women.

More particularly, the invention relates to a combination undergarmentwhich has the external appearance of an ordinary slip, and whichperforms the functions of restricting the abdomen and bracing theshoulders in such a manner as to cause the wearer of the garment toassume an erect posture and practice deep breathing.

It is well known that the various corsets or girdles which have been incommon use, act to support the abdomen and consequently tend to causethe wearer to assume anerect posture, but this form of garment usuallydoes' not have a connection with the shoulders, and therefore does notact to effectively promote an erect position and proper breathing.

Moreover, such corsets and girdles are nearly always made of relativelyheavy material often including stays or stiflening ribs, and aredesigned to have substantially their entire width completely encirclingthe torso of the wearer. There has been a decided tendency during thepresent times to discard all such heavy and cumbersome undergarments andadopt only the lighter and flimsier ones which necessarily cannotfunction to restrict or support any portion of the body.

The result of this modern tendency has been to allow the naturalinclination of many women toward incorrect posture and rounded shouldersto become more and more developed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an undergarmentwhich combines the advantages of an ordinary slip, a shoulder brace, anabdominal restricter, and hose supporters.

Another object is to construct such an undergarment in a manner toconceal the various restricting and supporting members under arelatively light weight outer covering or slip, so that the combinationgarment has aneXternal appearance identical with that of an ordinaryslip.

A further object is to provide a combine.- tion-undergarment which ismaterially less cumbersome and lighter in weight than a corset or girdleand the like, so as to add but little to the warmth of the light weightouter covering.

These and other objects are attained by 56 the parts, improvements andcombinations which comprise the present invention, and

which are particularly and distincgiy ointed out and set forth in theappend c aims, forming part hereof. 60

In general terms the invention comprises a combination undergarmentincluding a slip having shoulder straps, an abdominal restricting paneldisposed inside the front of the slip and suspended by the shoulderstraps, a shoulder bracing panel secured to the inside of the back ofthe slip, an adjustable rear waist band connecting the shoulder panelwith the top portion of the abdominal restricting panel, and hosesupporters secured to the lower portion of the abdominal restrictingpanel.

A preferred-embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which v -7 Figure 1 is a front view of theundergan ment in osition upon a human form portions of t e slip beingbroken away to show the interior construction of the undergar ment; y

Fig. 2, a rear view of the same, portions of the slip being broken awayto show the position of the shoulder bracing panel and the relativeposition of the adjustable waist band; s.)

Fig. 3, a front perspective View of the bracing, restricting andsupporting members, detached from the slip; and

Fig. 4, a fragmentary side elevation of the undergarment in positionupon a human '90 form, illustrating the manner of gaining access to theinterior, adjusting and connectingmembers through an opening in theslip.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The outer cover or slip 10 of relatively light weight material isadapted to hang freely from the shoulders of the wearer by the shoulderstraps 11, which are secured as by sewing to the top of the rear of theslip as 100 at 12, and buttoned or otherwise detachably secured to thetop of the front of the slip as at 13.

The shoulder straps 11 extend downwardly inside the slip 10 and arepreferably buttoned or otherwisedetachably secured as at 14 to the topportion of an abdominal restricting panel 15 which preferably is ofnon-elastic cloth much stronger than the material of the slip, thelength of the shoulder strapsll being such as to suspend the panel 15 ina positlon substantially covering the abdomen of the wearer. v

The panel 15 is preferably convexly curved upwardly along its top edge,and downward- 1y along its bottom edge to fit over the upper and lowerportions of the abdomen and has a depending leg at each side of itsbottom edge portion to which are secured the usual hose supportingmembers 16, the hose gripping members 17 of which are adapted to gripthe hose of the wearer'at the outside of each thigh. A tuck or dart 15ais preferably provided at the central lower portion of the panel 15 forthe purpose of drawing the lower portion of the panel inwardly to aid inrestricting the lower ortion of the abdomen.

A rear shoulder racing panel 18 preferably of material somewhat strongerthan the material of the slip is preferably sewed or otherwise securedto the inside top portion of the rear of the slip 10, as indicated bythe dotted line 19, and the panel 18 is dis posed entirely within theslip 10. Depend-- mg downwardly from and preferably integral with themain body of the panel 18 are two tapered portions or legs 20, to thelower ends 21 of'which are secured the ends of a self-adjusting belt orwaist band 22, which is adapted to encircle the back of the wearerswaist.

At a position on the belt 22 adjacent each leg 20 of the shoulder panel18, the band 22 is adapted to be detachably and slidably con: nected tothe upper corner portions of the abdominal restricting panel 15. Asshown in the drawings, the band 22 may be detachably connected to thepanel 15 by means of a'hook-and-button fastener indicated at 23,

and the band is looped through the fasteners 23 so as to permit the bandto slide freely therethrough and adjust itself to accommodate difierentpositions of the body.

The waist band 22 is preferably provided with a section of elasticmaterial indicated at 2A for the purpose of resiliently gripping thewearers waist and permitting free and easy movement of all par s of thebody.

An ordinary buckle adjustment as indicated at 25 is preferably providedon the waist band 22, so that .the length of the belt may be varied tosnugly fit the wearers waist.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the slip may be rovided at the side adjacentthe buckle adustment 25 or at both sides, with a vent or opening adaptedto be maintained in closed.

by means of the fasteners 23, the band is then drawn up by means of thebuckle adjustment 25 to fit snugly around the waist of the wearer, andthe hose supporters fastened to the hose at the sides of the thighs bythe hose grippers 17 in a manner previously described.

Thus the abdominal restricting panel 15 is supportedfrom the shouldersby the shoulder straps 11, and is held inwardly against the abdomen bymeans of the band 22 and the hose supporters 16, the dart 15a aiding thelower portion of the panel to snugly fit the contour of the lowerportions of the abdomen. By tightening the band 22 a pull is exertedbetween the back of the shoulders and the panel 15, bracing theshoulders and pressing inwardly on the abdomen to restrict the same.-

The resulting effect is obviously one tend- I 1 ing to require thewearer to assume an erect and proper posture, whichis beneficial to herhealth and appearance.

Diagonal stiffening ribs or'stays27 are preferably provided in the panel15 to It is evident that the improved construcstrengthen the same at theportions where the tion is much lighter in weight than a corset orgirdle and the like, and 'adds but little to the warmth of a slip,although promoting an erect posture and deep breathing, which result inimproved health and appearance.

It is understood that various modifications may be made in theconstruction of the improved undergarment without departing from thescope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. A combination undergarment including A abdominal restricting means, ashoulder bracing panel disposed above and to the rear of the abdominalrestricting means for bra:- ina' against the back of the shoulders, anda self-adjusting waist band secured to the shoulder bracing panel andslidably connected to the abdominal restricting means.

2. A combination undergarment including abdominal restricting means, ashoulder bracing panel disposed above and to the rear of Y the abdominalrestricting means for bracing against the back of the shoulders, aself-adjusting waist band, and fastener means detachably secured to theabdominal restricting means, the waist band being secured at each end tothe shoulder bracing panel and slidably looped through the fastenermeans to form waist engirdling means.

3. A combination undergarment including abdominal restricting means,shoulder straps connected to the abdominal restricting means and leadingdirectly therefrom Vertically up ward over the shoulders of the wearer,a shoulder bracing panel secured to the shoulder straps at the back ofthe shoulders of the wearer, and means adjustably connecting theshoulder bracing panel with the abdominal restricting means.

4. A combination undergarment including a front abdominal restrictingpanel and a rear shoulder bracing panel, a pair of shoulder strapssupporting both panels, means passing around the wearers waist and ad-'ustably connecting the panels, and a freely anging slip covering bothpanels and the means adjustably connecting the panels, the

sl1p being secured to the shoulder bracin panel and detachably connectedto the she der sltraps' above the abdominal restricting pane 3o 5. Acombination undergarment includin a slip, an abdominal restrictingpanel'locate inside the front panel portion of the slip, a shoulderbracing panel secured to the inside rear top portion of the slip,shoulder straps connecting the abdominal restricting panel withthe'shoulder bracing panel, means for detachably securing the fronttopportion of the slip to the shoulder straps, and waist engirdlingmeans connecting the abdominal 40 restricting panel with the shoulderbracing pane 6. A combination undergarment including a slip, anabdominal restricting panel provided with shoulder straps detachablysecured to the upper front portion of the slip,

a shoulder bracing panel secured to the shoulder stra s and to theinside rear top portion of the s 'p, hose supporters connected to theabdominal restricting panel, and a self-adjusting-waist band connectingthe abdominal restricting panel with the shoulder bracing ane a p Intestimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed m'y'name. IEVA M. REESE.

